DATE= 10/6/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-220906
TITLE=GAZA / HAMAS (L)
BYLINE=AL PESSIN
DATELINE=GAZA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE SPIRITUAL LEADER OF THE MILITANT PALESTINIAN GROUP
HAMAS, SHEIKH AHMED YASSIN, MADE A TRIUMPHAL RETURN TO GAZA
MONDAY TO CHEERS AND CALLS FOR UNITY ... AND ALSO TO SPECULATION
ABOUT HIS IMPACT ON THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT. V-O-A'S AL
PESSIN REPORTS FROM GAZA.
TEXT:
///CHANTING ACTUALITY///
THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS CROWDED INTO THE MAIN GAZA SOCCER STADIUM
TO WELCOME THE SHEIKH WITH WAR CHANTS FROM THE PALESTINIAN
UPRISING. AFTER A CALL FOR UNITY BY A SENIOR PALESTINIAN
OFFICIAL, THE CROWD GOT WHAT IT HAD COME FOR.
///FIRST YASSIN ARABIC ACTUALITY///
WITH THE SHEIKH'S VOICE WEAKENED BY ILLNESS AND PARALYSIS, HIS
WORDS WERE REPEATED BY ANOTHER MAN AS THE CROWD GREW QUIET TO
LISTEN. THE SHEIKH MAINLY AVOIDED POLITICS AT HIS HOMECOMING,
SAYING HE WAS MOVED TO TEARS BY THE SIGHT OF SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE
AT THE STADIUM. BUT EARLIER, IN AMMAN, HE STRUCK A DEFIANT TONE.
///SECOND YASSIN ARABIC ACTUALITY///
SHEIKH YASSIN TOLD REPORTERS THERE CAN BE NO CEASE-FIRE WITH
ISRAEL UNTIL THE OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE DISAPPEARS.
ALTHOUGH THE SHEIKH SPOKE OF UNITY, SUCH MILITANT STATEMENTS PUT
HIM AT ODDS WITH THE PALESTINIAN LEADER, YASSER ARAFAT, AND HIS
AUTONOMY AUTHORITY, WHICH WAS SET UP WHILE SHEIKH YASSIN WAS IN
PRISON. THERE IS MUCH SPECULATION ABOUT THE FUTURE COOPERATION
OR COMPETITION BETWEEN THE SHEIKH AND MR. ARAFAT, WHO DID NOT
ATTEND THE SHEIKH'S ARRIVAL MONDAY AS HAD BEEN EXPECTED.
VETERAN PALESTINIAN DIPLOMAT NABIL SHAATH SAYS THE DEVELOPMENTS
OF RECENT DAYS -- ISRAEL'S BOTCHED ATTACK ON A HAMAS LEADER IN
AMMAN AND THE SUBSEQUENT RELEASE OF SHEIKH YASSIN AND OTHER
PRISONERS -- HAVE NOT HELPED THE MODERATES' POSITION.
///SHAATH ACTUALITY///
THE LEADERSHIP OF HAMAS, ALL OF IT IN AMMAN NOW, CLAIMS
THAT ISRAEL IS RELEASING TO JORDAN THE LEADERS OF HAMAS,
WHILE THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY IS ARRESTING THEM IN
GAZA BECAUSE OF THE REQUEST OF THE ISRAELI AUTHORITY.
THIS CREATES A FANTASTIC DILEMMA THAT CANNOT
BUT DESTROY REAL CONFIDENCE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY.
///END ACTUALITY///
HAMAS LEADERS WERE TRYING TO STRIKE A CONCILIATORY TONE. BUT OUT
IN THE CROWD AT THE SOCCER STADIUM, SENIOR HAMAS LEADER MAHMOUD
AZ-ZAHAR SAID THE SHEIKH'S RETURN WILL STRENGTHEN THE GROUP IN
ITS CALLS FOR A TOUGHER APPROACH TO ISRAEL, INCLUDING VIOLENCE.
///AZ-ZAHAR ACTUALITY///
IT GIVES A HINT ABOUT THE POPULARITY OF HAMAS IN THE
PRESENT SITUATION.
(PESSIN): SO THIS WILL STRENGTHEN HAMAS IN PALESTINIAN
SOCIETY?
(AZ-ZAHAR) OF COURSE, OF COURSE.
///END ACTUALITY///
DR. AZ-ZAHAR WOULD NOT SAY WHETHER THAT MEANS MORE ATTACKS ON
ISRAEL. BUT SHEIKH YASSIN TOLD HIS AMMAN NEWS CONFERENCE IF THE
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE CANNOT ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS PEACEFULLY, THEY
WILL DO WHATEVER THEY HAVE TO.
///REST OPT///
FROM THE SOCCER STADIUM, AS DARKNESS FELL, SHEIKH YASSIN WAS
TAKEN HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 10 YEARS, WHERE A WELCOME
CELEBRATION AWAITED HIM THAT HAD BEGUN IN EARLY MORNING.
///MUSIC AND CHANTING ACTUALITY///
(SIGNED)
NEB/AWP/RRM
06-Oct-97 4:43 PM EDT (2043 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
